Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone Choir Set for Britain's Got Talent Audition
Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson is set to see his Hawkstone Farmers' Choir take to the stage on tonight's episode of Britain's Got Talent. The group, established to champion the British farming industry, will perform in front of the judging panel, hoping to secure a spot in the competition's next round.
Choir Composition and Origins
The Hawkstone Choir, named after Clarkson's brewery, comprises agricultural workers from rural Oxfordshire, many of whom reside and labour near his Diddly Squat Farm. Formed five months ago, the choir aims to represent the rural community and address the mental health challenges faced by farmers.
Choir leader Katrina explained, "Jeremy Clarkson did a thing, and that thing is the Hawkstone Farmers Choir. Every single one of us is in agriculture one way or another." Clarkson himself expressed initial doubts, telling the Sun, "When I had the idea for this choir, I worried it would come to nothing more than me, Kaleb and two cows honking tunelessly through Kumbaya. I never imagined it would actually become a glorious gathering of brilliant people and beautiful voices representing the beating heart of rural Britain."
Audition Details and Emotional Impact
The choir will audition before judges Alesha Dixon, KSI, Amanda Holden, and Stacey Solomon, who is standing in for the injured Simon Cowell. Their performance of Elbow's One Day Like This during the Birmingham Hippodrome audition in October last year moved the audience to a standing ovation and brought judge Amanda Holden to tears.
Holden, a neighbour of Clarkson in the Cotswolds, remarked, "As soon as you started singing, I felt so much power. I love the whole community, how you come together and work your socks off. You absolutely smashed it." Stacey Solomon added, "I don’t think anyone understands the power of a choir unless you’ve been in one, and it’s so special to see you all come together."
Mental Health Focus and Community Support
The choir's mission extends beyond entertainment, aiming to shed light on the isolation and mental strain in farming. Katrina highlighted, "We work by ourselves day in, day out, sometimes 16 hours a day. This has brought us together. We’re not singers by nature, but we’ve got one thing that unites us and that’s farming. We love what we do, but it can be incredibly hard and really lonely, very isolating. So to do this together means the world to us."
Clarkson occasionally joins rehearsals, though he did not perform on stage with the 33-member choir during the audition. Katrina noted, "Jeremy does sometimes come down and sing, but he’s not here tonight."
Recent Activities and Controversies
Prior to this appearance, the choir gained attention by reworking five festive songs to support Clarkson's farming advocacy, including classics like Silent Night and Good King Wenceslas. They also released a 7" vinyl titled The Banned One, featuring tracks such as F*** Me It's Good, a rendition of Leo Delibes' opera The Flower Duet.
However, their opera adaptation was banned from TV and radio for non-compliance with broadcasting regulations. Clarkson criticised the decision, stating, "It’s a cock-up, as usual. I’ve made my biggest, most heartfelt, and frankly, most expensive advert ever, and it’s been banned. The fun police in their beige offices have decided that the public can’t be trusted to watch it."
As the Hawkstone Choir steps into the spotlight on Britain's Got Talent, they hope to amplify their message of rural solidarity and resilience, blending performance with purpose in a bid to captivate both judges and viewers nationwide.
